Empower Play: The Pitch That Works for Dean (WP)

[dajabr]

PORTSMOUTH, N.H. -- The candidate walked into a party with shaving nicks on his neck, uneven fingernails and wrinkles from a hanger creasing his suit at the knees. He has been known to stuff pretzels into his pockets. On this night, he was shaking hands: "Hi, I'm Howard Dean."

"He's short," said Teresa Pierce, 40.

"Reminds me of someone my mother might date," muttered Denise Mallett, 33.

Yet half an hour later, as Dean finished his stump speech, Pierce stood up, joining the crowd in a hooting ovation. The Democratic presidential hopeful had moved her, she said, made her feel like recruiting friends to vote for him. As she reached for Dean's hand, her eyes lit up. "He inspired me," she said.

The question is: How? What did Dean do to enchant Pierce, and to stir up thousands of avid supporters? Despite the buzz surrounding retired Gen. Wesley Clark's late entry into the campaign, and mounting attacks from some of his other eight rivals, Dean has raised the most money and leads the polls in New Hampshire and Iowa. Conventional wisdom credits Dean's Bush-bashing and his stoking of Democratic anger. But to follow Dean on the stump is to see something more subtle at work.

While the other candidates focus on their humble roots or heroic feats, Dean inverts the telescope: He talks about the voters. He tells them they're okay. Instead of trying to get them to love him, he tells them to love themselves. A doctor by training, he injects psychology into politics.

"I liked it when he said the election wasn't about him, it was about us," said Pierce. "He's empowering me."

More: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A25308-2003Sep30.html

[pruner]

1. my haiku submission from the (virtual) steak fry

people power Dean
he empowers the people
chimps fall where they may

[Cha]

2. Pretty good piece except that sourpuss at the end.

Just go to show ya you can't please all the People.

[dajabr]

3. No, you can't...

Hi zidzi, how ya been? :hi:

Check out this re-cap of Dean skit on Leno:

"LOS ANGELES - Democratic presidential candidate Howard Dean poked fun at his fund-raising success Tuesday in his first appearance on the Jay Leno show.

In a film clip, Dean was shown playing a guitar on a street next to signs reading, "Your change for real change" and "We'll strum for presidency." People were shown placing money in an open guitar case."

Sounds kinda funny. I may go watch instead of Letterman...?

[Cha]

4. Hi dajabr! Thanks for that description of what Dean was doing

on the tonight show! Mandyky said Dean did really well!

[dean4america]

5. the skit..

was actor/producer/director/Dean for California Co-Chair Rob Reiner dropping coins into the guitar case

[RevolutionStartsNow]

6. Asked how he relaxes...

he said he mows the lawn and does his taxes.

Not only is that a nice little rhyme, it's funny.